Tubular assembly for cutting pneumatically propelled filaments

ABSTRACT

A tubular assembly for cutting pneumatically propelled filaments and disposing them for efficient takeup by a portable pneumatic sucker gun, includes a fixed hollow tubular outer housing and a radially movable spring tensioned hollow tubular inner member positioned within the outer housing. The inner member has a downwardly extending trigger pin in operational engagement with a pivotally mounted inner pair of flat horizontal contiguous coacting cutting discs. Each disc has a circular hole therein which forms a cutting edge and the discs are movable in scissor like fashion in response to radial movement of the trigger pin. Centering and severing of filaments passing through the assembly and simultaneous termination of air flow through the assembly is effected by movement of the assembly from open to closed position the movement being effected by inward radial movement of said inner member and consequent radial movement of said vertical trigger pin causing said discs bearing their respective cutting edges to pivotally slide toward each other centering and severing the filaments within the holes in the discs and effectively closing said throat.

United States Patent [191 Ferguson 1 May 7,1974

[ TUBULAR ASSEMBLY FOR CUTTING PNEUMATICALLY PROPELLED FILAMENTS Billy George Ferguson, Hermitage, Tenn.

[75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.

22 Filed: Apr. 17, 1973 [21]App1.No.:35l,817

Primary Examiner-J. Meister [5 7] ABSTRACT A tubular assembly for cutting pneumatically propelled filaments and disposing them for efficient takeup by a portable pneumatic sucker gun, includes a fixed hollow tubular outer housing and a radially movable spring tensioned hollow tubular inner member positioned within the outer housing. The inner member has a downwardly extending trigger pin in operational engagement with a pivotally mounted inner pair of flat horizontal contiguous coacting cutting discs. Each disc has a circular hole therein which forms a cutting edge and the discs are movable in scissor like fashion in response to radial movement of the trigger pin. Centering and severing of filaments passing through the assembly and simultaneous termination of air flow through the assembly is effected by movement of the assembly from open to closed position the movement being effected by inward radial movement of said inner member and consequent radial movement of said vertical trigger pin causing said discs bearing their respective cutting edges to pivotally slide toward each other centering and severing the filaments within the holes in the discs and effectively closing said throat.

4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMY 1 1914 $808324 FIG-Z I8 FIG-3 FIG-4 FIG-5 FIG-6 FIG. 7 FIG-8- TUBULAR ASSEMBLY FOR CUTTING PNEUMATIC/ALLY PROIELLED FILAMENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for handling a textile strand and more particularly to an apparatus for severing a running textile strand. The term textile strand includes all types of natural and/or synthetic textile fiber, either monofilament or multifilament, and yarns and tows thereof consisting of continuous filaments or short length fibers or combinations thereof.

In the production of continuous textile yarns, it is often necessary to transfer a group of yarns (threadlines) which is running vertically through a pneumatic waste jet tube to a sucker gun for stringup of the yarns onto separate winding positions. A standard portable pneumatic sucker gun such as described by Miller in U. S. Pat. No. 2,667,964 is used. The small entrance orifice of the gun being placed just above the entrance to the waste jet tube and near the passing threadlines, then the threadlines are cut with scissors at a point below the sucker gun. Vacuum at the sucker gun orifice is great enough to cause the cut threadline ends to be sucked into the gun thus completing the transfer. The described process is satisfactory when the threadlines are bundled together at the entrance of the waste jet tube, but it is exceedingly difficult if the threadlines are issuing from widely spaced origins and converging at a point in the throat of the waste jet tube as is the case in modern processes. In such a situation, in order to place the sucker gun in position to accept the threadlines; i.e., at. or near the point of threadline convergence, it must be inserted into the waste jet tube thus making it impossible to insert the scissors below the sucker gun to cut the threadlines. It has now been found that if the waste jet tube is equipped with a specially designed interior cutter which, simultaneously centers and converges the threadlines, stops the air flow through the tube and severs the threadlines, threadline transfer from waste jet tube to sucker gun can be accomplished with ease even in modern processes wherein the threadlines approach the waste jet tube at wide angles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for cutting filaments passing therethrough comprising: a fixed housing having a central bore extending from an entrance to an exit for the passage of said filaments therethrough, said bore having a reduced portion forming a shoulder therein facing said entrance; a tubular member positioned above said shoulder in said bore, said member being smaller than said bore above said shoulder and extending above said entrance of said housing; means mounting said tubular member for reciprocal radial movement in said bore; means positioned between said tubular member and said shoulder for centering and then severing said filaments in said bore; means for biasing said tubular member against radial movement; and a linkage coupling said tubular member and said centering and cutting means, said centering and cutting means being actuated through said linkage by unidirectional radial movement of said tubular member in said bore against said biasing means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an exploded view of one embodiment of the new assembly. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-8 are plan views of the spacer ring, inner member, guide disc, top cutting disc, bottom cutting 5 disc and bearing disc, taken along the lines 3-3 to 8-8 of FIG. 2, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the cutter assembly of this invention includes an outer housing 10 mounted in a conventional waste jet entrance 12 which may be at a convenient location on the face of a spinning machine. The housing 10 has a central bore extending from an entrance 13 to an exit 14. The bore of the housing has a reduced portion 17 which forms a shoulder 15 facing the entrance 13 of the housing. A tubular member I6 is positioned in the bore of housing III above the shoulder 15. Member 16 is smaller in cross section than the bore in housing 10 above shoulder 15. Threadline ring 18 in situated at the entrance of the assembly and is seated in an annular groove of tubular member 16. Threadline ring 18 which frictionally contacts filaments moving through entrance 12 is preferably made of a hard material resistant to abrasive damage, such as Al- SiMag, a product of the American Lava Corporation. Member 16 has an upwardly protruding annular lip 16. Annular ring 20 is seated atop fixed outer housing I0 and surrounds a portion of IV'IeT member 16. Spacer ring 22 is seated in a groove housing 10 and is situated between housing 10 and inner member 16. Attached to member 16 is spring 24, perpendicular trigger pin 26 and guide pin 28. Guide pin 28 and trigger pin 26 extend through the elongated channels 32 and 34, respectively, of guide ring 30 (see FIG. 5), the function of which is to prevent nonradial movement of pins 26 and 28 and associated member 16. Contiguous flat cutting discs 35 and 36 each contain a circular hole and a C-shaped groove (FIGS. 6 and 7). The abutting forming the circular holes is sharp so as to form cutting edges. Ring 38 provides a bearing surface for disc 36. Pivot pin 40 extends through the appropriate holes in guide ring 30, discs 35 and 36 and bearing ring 38.

FIG. 2 shows the tubular assembly in open position; i.e., the circular hole of cutting discs 35 and 36 are aligned with the cylinder axis of outer housing 10. In this position the holes of threadline ring 18, inner member 16, guide ring 30, discs 35 and 36, bearing ring 38 and bore of housing I0 are all aligned to form a continuous elongated cylindrical throat for the passage of filaments from entrance 13 to exit 14.

In operation, filaments are sucked through the new device by a suitable vacuum creating means (not shown) located downstream of the waste tube H2. The threadlines enter the new device, first passing through threadline ring 10 and pass downwardly through waste jet tube 12. When the operator desires to transfer the threadlines from the waste jet to the sucker gun in preparation for windup onto a winding device, he merely contacts the radially movable portion of the upwardly protruding annular lip 16 with the edge of his sucker gun. In FIG. 2, the proper place for such contact is the upper right edge of lip 16 as indicated by force arrow 42. He then pushes the gun in the direction of the arrow 42 to cause inner member 16 to move radially against the tension imposed by spring 24 carrying guide edges of the inner rounded surfaces of discs 35 and 36 1 pin 28 and trigger pin 26. Movement of inner member 16 causes guide pin 28 to move in channel 32 and trigger pin 26 to move in channel 34 of guide ring 30. The trigger pin 26 and the C-shaped holes or cam surfaces of cutting discs 35 and 36 when coupled together form a linkage between member 16 and cutting and centering discs 35, 36. Trigger pin 26 slides in the C-shaped" holes of cutting discs 35 and 36 causing the cutting discs to pivot around pin 40 inwardly in opposite directions in scissor like fashion. This opposite inward movement of discs 35 and 36 causes their respective holes to move out of alignment with the axis of the bore of outer housing shutting off the air passage through the assembly and, simultaneously therewith, the convergence of the cutting edges of the discs severs the running threadline. The free end of the threadline then is influenced by the vacuum of the sucker gun placed onto the entrance 13 and immediately passes into the sucker gun making the filament transfer complete. The operator then transports the threadline to a windup in typical fashion.

The new device may be of any size but an outside diameter of about 1% inches (32 mm.) for outer ring 20, the other parts of the assembly being made in proportion therewith, is preferred for normal textile operations.

The new device is preferably made of a hard resistant rigid material such as stainless steel.

The tip of the sucker gun for .use in conjunction with the new apparatus preferably contains a flange or rim spaced from the entrance orifice for contacting lip 16' of inner member 16.

A particular advantage of the new device is that it is safe to operate. As described, to activate the new device the operator merely pushes the tip of the sucker gun against it. His hands and body may be at a distance from the cutting device. Another advantage is the relative small size of the apparatus, it being readily constructed to fit into the throat of an existing waste jet tube. Another advantage is that it is relatively inexpensive.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cutting filaments passing therethrough comprising:

a fixed housing having a central bore extending from an entrance to an exit for the passage of said filaments therethrough, said bore having a reduced portion forming a shoulder therein facing said entrance;

a tubular member positioned above said shoulder in said bore, said member being smaller than said bore above said shoulder and extending above said entrance of said housing;

means mountingsaid tubular member for reciprocal radial movement in said bore;

means positioned between said tubular member and said shoulder for centering and then severingsaid filaments in said bore;

means for biasing said tubular member against radial movement;

a linkage coupling said tubular member and said centering and cutting means, said centering and cut ting means being actuated through said linkage by unidirectional radial movement of said tubular member in said bore against said biasing means.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim I, said means mounting said tubular member for reciprocal radial movement comprising: a guide ring closely fitting said bore above said shoulder, said ring having a central opening aligned with the reduced portion of said bore and elongated opposed transverse channels extending outwardly from said opening; and a pair of pins extending downwardly from said tubular member, said pins engaging said channels to allow only radial movement of said tubular member.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means for centering, then severing said filaments in said bore comprising: a pair of contiguous flat cutting discs smaller than said bore above said shoulder, each disc having a central hole axially aligned with said bore, said discs being pivotally mounted at one side to said shoulder for inward and outward pivotal movement of said holes out of alignment with said bore, the abutting edges of said openings forming cutting edges for the filaments passing through the openings.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, said linkage comprising: a guide ring positioned below said tubular member and closely fitting said bore above said shoulder, said ring having a central opening aligned with the reduced portion of said bore, and elongated opposed transverse channels extending outwardly from said opening; and a pair of pins extending downwardly from said tubular member, said pins engaging said channels to allow only radial movement of said tubular member, one of said pins extending through one of said channels, each of said flat cutting discs having C-shaped cutting grooves therethrough of opposite hand, said one pin extending through said C-shaped grooves to form a linkage between said tubular member and said cutting discs. 

1. An apparatus for cutting filaments passing therethrough comprising: a fixed housing having a central bore extending from an entrance to an exit for the passage of said filaments therethrough, said bore having a reduced portion forming a shoulder therein facing said entrance; a tubular member positioned above said shoulder in said bore, said member being smaller than said bore above said shoulder and extending above said entrance of said housing; means mounting said tubular member for reciprocal radial movement in said bore; means positioned between said tubular member and said shoulder for centering and then severing said filaments in said bore; means for biasing said tubular member against radial movement; a linkage coupling said tubular member and said centering and cutting means, said centering and cutting means being actuated through said linkage by unidirectional radial movement of said tubular member in said bore against said biasing means.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means mounting said tubular member for reciprocal radial movement comprising: a guide ring closely fitting said bore above said shoulder, said ring having a central opening aligned with the reduced portion of said bore and elongated opposed transverse channels extending outwardly from said opening; and a pair of pins extending downwardly from said tubular member, said pins engaging said channels to allow only radial movement of said tubular member.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, said means for centering, then severing said filaments in said bore comprising: a pair of contiguous flat cutting discs smaller than said bore above said shoulder, each disc having a central hole axially aligned with said bore, said discs being pivotally mounted at one side to said shoulder for inward and outward pivotal movement of said holes out of alignment with said bore, the abutting edges of said openings forming cutting edges for the filaments passing through the openings.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, said linkage comprising: a guide ring positioned below said tubular member and closely fitting said bore above said shoulder, said ring having a central opening aligned with the reduced portion of said bore, and elongated opposed transverse channels extending outwardly from said opening; and a pair of pins extending downwardly from said tubular member, said pins engaging said channels to allow only radial movement of said tubular member, one of said pins extending through one of said channels, each of said flat cutting discs having C-shaped cutting grooves therethrough of opposite hand, said one pin extending through said C-shaped grooves to form a linkage between said tubular member and said cutting discs. 